


Adventures in Food Allergies

by Dairi



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Family, Gen, Gifted new purse, Hurt/Comfort, Poisonous muffins, Protective Oliver, Purse destruction, Weird flavored chapstick, food allergies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:24:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dairi/pseuds/Dairi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team finds out she's allergic to peanuts the hard way. It's a good thing she'd confessed her brownie incident to Diggle.</p><p>2 - Oliver makes muffins, not knowing Felicity has apparently never eaten cinnamon before.</p><p>3 - Curtis offers Felicity use of his very interesting flavored chapstick. Oliver is not happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing, just enjoying playing with them every now and then. So, this came to me when I was reading and thinking that, well, Thai food has a lot of peanut stuffs in it, and originally this was gonna be with her eating noodles cooked in peanut oil but then I actually looked at a Thai menu and changed what I had her eat. I don't really know that much about Thai food but I did try to do some research so I hope this very short story is representing it ok except for the allergic part. Correct me if I got anything wrong, too, don't know much about allergic reactions either. Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Sorry it is so short...I may be writing another of this type but no promises. Thanks again for reading~!

Food allergies - The perils of distracted eating

 

It started out as a pretty normal Wednesday evening. Felicity was on her computers tracking down the latest perp, Diggle and Oliver training in the background, and Roy had gone out on a food run.

So it was that when Roy returned with some sort of salad in a carton-like container, saying as he handed it to her, "Didn't know if you wanted chicken or shrimp, so I got one with both." Felicity didn't pay it much mind beyond a murmured thanks as she took the carton. Her entire focus being on her computer screens, she didn't give the food in her hands any mind at all. Until she was about two bites in.

She smacked her lips as a strange taste hit her tongue and she stared down in confusion at the salad in front of her, absently scratching at her throat with one hand. She was trying to place that strange flavor, it seemed vaguely familiar, and why did her tongue feel kind of itchy all of sudden? Felicity coughed, and that's when it hit her.

Peanuts. The salad had peanuts in it, maybe it was the dressing? Didn't matter what it had been in, it was already taking its toll on her and closing her airways.

"Crap." She wheezed, and then tossed the carton to her desk as she dove for her purse. Her Epi-pen, she had to have it in there somewhere. She'd been required to carry it but hadn't had to use it for years and where had she seen it last?!

Kneeling on the floor in front of her purse and searching through it like a crazy woman had, naturally, drawn the attention of all the male occupants of the room. The fact that she was now hacking and wheezing instead of breathing may have helped gain their attention, too, but it certainly wasn't an aid in her searching.

"Felicity, what-" Oliver began, having come to stand before her but was cut off when she gave up and just dumped everything out of her purse, hands now shaking. He took a step back as everything tumbled out but she didn't even notice him at all. This was not good, so very very not good...

Tears started to form in her eyes because the Epi pen was still. Not. There. It wasn't to be found amidst the dumped out contents. So. Where the heck had she put it last?! Sort of a life-or-death thing, here.

Thankfully, Diggle was there. He put the pieces together as soon as he saw the carton on its side atop her desk, and picked it up for a sniff. His eyes widened.

"Epi-pen! That's what she needs, bound to have one in her purse - That's what she's trying to find." Diggle spoke aloud quickly, looking to Oliver who was on the floor next to her. Oliver sucked in a quick breath, his expression becoming stone as he grabbed Felicity's purse and very likely ripped a zipper compartment as he tore into it. He came across a glasses cleaning kit, a small case of some other type of medication, and then finally, finally, there at the bottom. He pulled out the Epi-pen. Extracting it from the purse's zipper pocket with a flourish, he held it up then hesitated.

"What do I-?" He was again cut off as Dig grabbed the pen from him, uncapped it and shot it into Felicity's thigh is quick succession. Felicity had been leaning against the desk because by this time her head was really feeling funny and breathing was just...too difficult. She did let out a hiss, however, upon feeling the bite of the needle. Then she whimpered and promptly blacked out.

"Dig!" Oliver barked, gathering Felicity into his arms as he looked at his friend with terrified eyes because what if they'd just done something wrong? "Why'd she black out?" Oliver whispered, turning his gaze down to her and realizing that yes, she was breathing but barely. Dig shook his head and motioned to the stairs.

"I'm calling an ambulance, get her upstairs."

"I'm sorry," Roy whispered, whom til now had been silent. "I didn't- I had no idea she was...oh God please tell me she'll be ok. I honestly didn't know she had an allergy."

Oliver stood with the woman in his arms, and turned to Roy as he approached the stairs. "This isn't on you, Roy. I," here Oliver had to pause and grimance at himself, because, "I didn't know either." He whispered, closing his eyes breifly and shifting the bundle in his arms to cling to her tighter before glancing at Roy and nodding to the door. "Help me with the door."

Thankfully, they had gotten her help in time and she was right as rain within a week or two. There was, however, a lifetime ban on Thai food in the foundary, unless it was first very carefully checked.

And, as soon as Felicity got home she found a beautiful new purse the exact color shade as the one before waiting on her coffee table.


	2. Apple-cinnamon muffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blueberry muffins are the go-to, but he is trying to widen out to different things. This one doesn't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based sometime after Oliver finds his inner Martha Stewart, exactly when and how far into their relationship is up to you. Blueberry muffins are the go-to, but he is trying to widen out to different things. This one doesn't go as planned.

The Dangers of food experimentation 

 

The kitchen smelled delightful - Felicity could agree with this statement even without having had her morning coffee just yet. The air smelt pleasantly of coffee and cinnamon, a heavenly aroma. 

"G'morning," Oliver came over to greet her with a kiss and set her favorite mug full of coffee down on the counter right in front of her.

"Morning," Felicity responded, settling herself onto the stool as she sipped at her coffee. "Something smells yummy."

"Apple cinnamon - hope you like 'em." He informed her, setting a plate piled with muffins on the counter with a quick kiss to the side of her head. She reached for a muffin but kept her eyes on him as he claimed the stool beside her, his own coffee mug in hand. He raised an eyebrow expectantly, watching intently as she took her first bite.

"Mmm," she closed her eyes and smiled as the flavor played over her tongue. Oliver's eyes sparkled as he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek and grab a muffin of his own. Since they'd started this relationship, she was quite happy to note those kisses were flowing very freely. At this very moment, she really couldn't be happier.

"Good, I'm glad." Oliver said with a grin before tearing heartily into the apple cinnamon muffin in his hand. From the grin on his lips she idly wondered if he was reading her mind again, like he seemed to do sometimes.

Much like before, it was only after she swallowed her second bite that she was beginning to realize the tingling sensation on her tongue was not entirely normal. Her throat felt a little itchy, too, like when... Felicity froze, staring down at the food item in her hand.

There was no way, absolutely no way at all, that he would ever, Ever, do anything like that to her. Just no.

She remembered the fuss he'd made after the Thai salad snafu, how he'd wanted to personally check over ever single food item allowed down into the foundary. It'd taken a good bit of time and a lot of convincing that no one was intending to actually poison her before he relented and things got back to normal. There was no way he'd purposefully put any kind of nut, let alone something remotely resembling a peanut, into anything she ate without expressly warning her first.

So why was her throat all kinds of itchy and her tongue swelling up?

"Felicity?" Oliver questioned, seeing the strange expression on her face. 

"What'd - what's in this?" She paused, biting down on her heavy tongue and attempting to swallow. "Did it come from a mix?" 

Maybe, if it was from a pre-made mix thing, it had somehow gotten tainted. Didn't they usually put warnings on the back labels of those things, though? By Oliver's very confused expression, she doubted it was from a mix.

"I followed the recipe, it's all from scratch. Why?" He asked, carefully studying her face. When she only looked at him with a somewhat pitiful stare, and smacked her lips a little because it was starting to get just a little hard to breathe. Then she coughed. His eyes widened as he realized,

"You're having an allergic reaction, aren't you?" He asked quietly, though it was more of a statement with maybe a slight inflection. Oliver dropped his half-eaten muffin as if it'd burned him, then stood and leaned over to snatch Felicity's from her hand. He tossed it back on the plate and slid the whole thing away from them, glaring because it had Failed his Felicity. 

Which caused him to pause and swallow thickly, because he had failed her. He was supposed to protect her, not give her allergic reactions. He dismissed his thoughts of the best way of muffin disposal (because his first thought had been to just give a good shove and watch them fall over the counter top but that would destory a beautiful plate. Then there was the rather satisfying option of burning them, but what if she inahled the fumes and couldn't breathe?) Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the coughing blonde.

"Felicity, why didn't you say something sooner?" Oliver asked, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand, his other hand delving into his pocket.

"Should prob'y get...pen," When she tried to get up, Oliver tightened his hold and didn't let her leave the seat. 

"I've got it." He said, holding up the Epi-pen which he'd apparently had in his pocket, releasing her hand to lift the shirt she was wearing - his shirt - so he could better access her upper thigh. She looked at him questioningly as he produced the pen, and he shook his head. "I've had one on me ever since that day at the foundary." He explained, to which she bit her lip to hold back a smile, watching him uncap the pen.

"Hope you didn't-" she paused to hiss as he quickly delivered the needed medicine, "have it in Nanda Parbat the whole time." She finished, speaking slowly.

Oliver looked up with an apologetic smile as she hissed and linked their hands again with his free one to give hers a gentle squeeze. "No, I left it on the plane." He said with a wink, then grew serious again. "Felicity, I swear to you there were no nuts of any kind in those, you know I would never.." he trailed off, giving her a very guilty look. He did appear extremely troubled by all of this. It was her turn to squeeze his hand and give him a reassuring smile. 

"I know you wouldn't." She whispered, then closed her eyes for a moment. Oliver put the used pen on the counter, picking her up with little more than a squeak from the blonde. He was glad she'd not passed out this time, at least not yet. A reminder of the last time, and how the doctor had said if they'd been even ten minutes later with Epi...she could've... the thought turned his veins to ice and his heart beat wildly as he held her a little tighter, reminding himself she was ok, or that she would be. It didn't appear to be as bad as last time, but still, "We're going to the hospital." He announced, shifting her to settle against him more as he freed a hand to grab the car keys off the hook by the door.

"Ol'ver!" Felicity squeaked again, hitting him on the chest and then leaning close to his face to whisper, "Clothes." Oliver blinked and looked down, only now seeming to realize that, well, he wasn't wearing a shirt and she wasn't wearing pants. He wrinkled his nose and changed direction to the bedroom instead. She wanted one of her blouses and some shorts, so after helping her and donning a shirt of his own, he picked her up again and carried her out to the car. Because with her tongue still obviously swollen and her little coughing fits, there's no way he wasn't taking her to the doctor.

"Felicity, have you ever had an allergy test?" Oliver quietly questioned her once they were on the road. He wasn't expecting a snort in response. He glanced over to see her eying him with a 'look.'

"What?" His brows drew down in confusion, having no idea what was up with her reaction.

"Needles." She said, crossing her arms and looking out the side window. He was well aware of her thoughts on needles and other pointy objects. And allergy tests required lots, and lots, of needles. No.

"I'll take that as a no - but Felicity, please consider it. I'd...I'd really like to know everything you're allergic to so I don't accidentally posion you again." Oliver murmured sorrowfully, keeping his eyes on the road. Felicity looked at him and considered this; she could tell what had happened was affecting him, especially by his white - knuckled grip on the steering wheel, but didn't he know he wasn't actually to blame? 

"You didn't." She tried to say as she reached over to pat his leg, but with her swollen tongue it just sounded funny. Oliver glanced at her again.

"Please?" He was almost begging now. Felicity sighed and leaned back in her seat. She supposed it was actually a good idea, but she was so going to make him stand next to her every step of the way so she could crush both of his hands with her own. She had read up on it before, she knew allergy testing was a whole process. 

"Fine." She whispered as they pulled into the parkinglot. Oliver grinned at her and, as soon as they were parked, leaned over to kiss her but then stopped.

"Wait, I haven’t brushed my teeth or anything, to get the cinnamon-" he didn't finish as she grabbed his shirt and tugged him over for a kiss. 

Later on they find out she is indeed allergic to cinnamon, though yes the reaction is not as severe as peanuts. Oliver still throws out everything with even a trace of cinnamon, including candy, gum, candles, anything even scented cinnamon. After her allergy testing he did eventually regain feeling in his left hand, and he was there to soothe her in the aftermath nightmares of needles.


	3. It was the chapstick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dry air makes for chapped lips...too bad Felicity only has non-moisturizing lipstick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So again, know nothing of severe allergies, if anything is horribly wrong please feel free to let me know. Other than that, please enjoy~

Hazards of Lip Moisturizer 

 

The day had started out innocently as any other. 

The weather for the past month had been unseasonably cool, so of course before she'd left their apartment that morning her husband had made sure she had on a proper coat. And a nice sweater in case she got cold in the building...inside the nice, climate controlled, well-sealed building. With at least two individuals very adept to handle said climate-control system in the very room she'd be in.

Granted, she and Curtis would be working with their own computer systems the whole time, and the room with the tech was always kept at a cooler temperature to prevent any possible overheating from happening, so...she supposed Oliver did have a point with that one. Besides, she did get cold easily.

Well. All this cold air? Yeah, it made the skin so unbearably dry. Her body moisturizer seemed to be keeping up the battle ok, but her lips. Quite uncomfortably chapped. The lipstick she used - well, it seemed to only be making the problem worse. And chapstick was evidently something that she didn't carry around very much, because her purse was sorely lacking any form of Lip Moisturizer. She'd checked, twice. She'd only thought to bring the lip color she was currently wearing to refresh it if need be, not considering a later need for lip moisturization - seriously, the skin on her lips was this close to cracking and bleeding...

"What I wouldn't give for some chapstick just about now.." Felicity mumbled under her breath as she fiddled with something on the screen in front of her. Curtis had apparently heard her, because next thing she knew he'd left his station and was walking over toward her.

"Oh, here. I've got one of those new, weird-flavor ones. If you don't mind using after me, that is." Curtis offered, holding up the plastic tube, after uncapping it and wiping it on his sleeve. Felicity gasped and looked over at him, holding her hand out.

"I don't care, gimmie." And so she slathered it on thick over her poor, crying lips. They felt properly soothed. For the few moments it took for her to smile and, after wiping it off again, hand the tube back to Curtis, pronouncing him a lifesaver as she turned back to her own work.

Really, 'weird-new-flavor' should have tipped her off. Oliver had warned her to be careful and pay close attention to the ingredients in things...but only things she actually ate, right? She wasn't actually eating the chapstick. She hadn't even thought about checking what was in it. She only thought about the relief she would feel once she'd applied it.

And a great relief it would've been, if the chapstick container had not read, 'Peanutbutter Honey - Cinnamon flavor.'

Because honestly, who buys that kind of thing?

Curtis, apparently. 

At least he didn't completely freak out when, not 20 minutes later, he turned around to ask Felicity something and saw her lips swollen to about 3 times their natural size and the whole area of her face an unnatural red color. 

"Uh, Felicity?" He asked, very concerned for her health and breathing and he really, honestly, genuinely did not know she had an allergy to...something. Remembering who and how big her husband was, he gulped and hoped he would make it alive through this evening...maybe he would show some mercy given the above...and there was a show on tonight he really didn't want to miss, which he totally would if he was, y'know, dead.

She only held up a hand, index finger up, and continued solely focused on the code she was writing. Curtis frowned because, seriously, how could she Not Notice that she was in the middle of an allergic reaction?!

"Felicity!" He snapped, walking over to where she sat. He would totally...call an ambulance to come and get her, if he had to. Which, now he's thinking of it, wouldn't be such a bad idea anyway.

"What?" She finally looked up at his tone, then promptly freaked a bit as she realized her lips weren't being fully cooperative. She looked adorably confused, even with the huge lips and really red face.

"Are you...allergic to peanuts, perchance?" He asked as he sidled a step closer, lowering his head towards her. She nodded, feeling rather numb.

"Oh -- I am SO sorry, I had no idea, I honestly...oh no, oh man, I am so dead, Oliver is so gonna kill me.."

"Curthis," Felicity got out, grimacing and realized she had most likely been chewing on her lips this entire time and had no doubt ingested the flavor. Her throat was burning and she knew...well, Curtis wouldn't be the only one Oliver was going to kill. "Bag, zippther, Epi." Felicity kept her words short and hopefully understandable. At least she wasn't supposed to meet her husband for lunch today, so there was no need to immediately notify him. He would only worry. Besides, she was pretty sure he was spending the morning with Thea, and she didn't want to intrude on that family time. Not with a simple allergic reaction like this; perhaps she'd send him a text when she got to the hospital. He'd feel better knowing she got looked over, right? Right.

"Epi, right!" Curtis said, snapping her back to the here and now, and then Felicity swallowed again and considered...she wasn't having that much trouble breathing at present, so...

"Wait! No Epi, just...hothspial, now." She declared, reaching out for his hand.

"What? Are you sure? I mean, yes, of course...let's grab your purse, too." Curtis swung round to grab the item, then back over to Felicity and helped her stand and head over to the elevator. Felicity made sure she had her phone before really allowing herself to leave. Once they were settled in Curtis' car and on the road, she started typing out her text.

'Had slight allergic reaction to something - I am fine! - but just so you know, heading to hospital now, just in case. I am fine tho. No need to come by. Love you.'

Then she turned off her phone, because she wasn't really supposed to have it on in the hospital, and they were here anyway. 

As she suspected, they looked her over, gave her the needed meds, then pretty much sent her home with a note to call if anything more developed. Everything was calm, everything was fine, and there was really no need for anyone to freak out. Someone should probably have told that to Oliver, because, just as she was entering the main lobby waiting area again, he was bursting through the entry doors with Thea right behind him. His wild eyes calmed upon seeing her, and she saw him visibly let out a deep breath. And then he glared. She had the presence of mind to put on a sheepish smile as he stalked his way over to her.

"Slight allergic reaction," he spat as soon as he was within arms reach, and then quickly engulfed her in one of his special-branded hugs. She stiffened, and then sunk into him, gripping his nice dress shirt in her hands. "You turned your phone off," he accused, keeping his hand on her head and not even letting her look up at him.

"'S proper...procedure for, hosthipithals." She tried to say, but it only sounded...weird. Over Oliver's shoulder, Felicity could see Thea crack a grin.

"He was only worried about you, Felicity, especially when you didn't answer back. You should've seen him when he got that text." Thea said, raising an eyebrow. Felicity frowned, then buried her face into his neck, shuddering internally. 

"'M sorry...didn't want to worry you, or delve into sibling time..." she attempted to say, though she was secretly very glad to have Oliver here, but could have waited til sometime after she got home, too. Curtis could've kept her company until he got home. She felt Oliver stiffen and he was about to pull her back, when she felt a light tap on the top of her head. She looked up and saw the eyes of a very sage Queen woman staring back at her.

"Oliver and I? We can have 'sibling time' anytime, but if and whenever you need your husband here with you, if even just for support...well, he'll be there. I'll make sure of it." Thea proclaimed, ending with a wink. For some reason - perhaps the meds were making her emotional, and yes, she was totally going to run with that - she wanted to cry all of sudden, and so she buried her face in Oliver's chest. Taking care to keep her aching lips away from coming into contact with his shirt material, of course. She felt his arms close around her in another tight hug where he seemed to be inhaling her shampoo rather deeply. Distantly, she believed her heard Curtis and Thea speaking of her bag, which she'd left in Curtis' car, and possible arrangements for Curtis to drop Thea off at Laurel's on his way home. She couldn't really be sure, though, because by this time she'd closed her eyes and had given herself over to the deep, blissful, impossible comfort that could only be provided to her by her husband.

~*~

Sometime after they had returned home she had, of course, had to tell Oliver what exactly it was that had caused her allergic reaction. How it had come to be. Which made for an interesting confrontation later that day when Curtis came to check on her and she found the two having a staring - no, it was really more a one-sided glaring contest in the living room. They were both standing in the center of the room, Oliver with his arms over his chest and a rather Arrow-y, 'you-have-failed-this-city' expression on his face. And then poor Curtis, who looked ready to bolt if only he weren't so scared to move.

"He's not...really gonna kill me, right?" He questioned, darting fearful eyes over to where Felicity was slowly walking towards them.

"No, because he knows I would never allow it. It was an accident, Oliver. Accidents happen, people accidently hurt people, just like a certain type of muffin happened." She reminded him, giving her husband a pointed look. He startled, looking down at her, expression contrite. Felicity smiled and patted his arm, and he finally eased up.

"Fine," Oliver sighed, dropping his arms, but returned his glare to Curtis. "But you have to get rid of that chapstick - I don't ever want it or anything with peanuts or cinnamon anywhere near my wife again. Understood?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Queen. Already tossed it in the trash, at home." Curtis was quick to add.

"Good," Oliver nodded in approval, before holding out his hand with an item in it and saying, "Now, since you spend a lot of time with Felicity, I am entrusting you with one of these. You'd better have it on your person at all times, and I will be giving unexpected quizzes on its location and use. If you don't have it, then I'll kill you." Oliver said, ending sweetly with a little smile. Felicity forcibly elbowed him in the side. 

"Maime you," Oliver corrected, to which Felicity gave him an exasperated look.

"He doesn't mean that." She muttered, leaning heavily on her husband as she suddenly felt light headed and really tired from just having been up this long.

"Oh, I think he does." Curtis gulped, after taking the Epipen from Oliver. He was then dismissed as Oliver declared that his wife needed more rest, but she wouldn't leave the two of them alone, so yes Curtis was only too happy to comply and head home. 

Over the next 3 weeks, Oliver would appear out of no where and near give Curtis a heart-attack. But each time, he was able to present the Epipen and recite the instructions correctly by heart, never having to look once. After the 3rd week, Oliver finally seemed ok to leave him to it, with only once a month appraisals.


End file.
